


A Second Chance

by Paperpage



Category: Five Nights at Freddy's
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Angst, Comedy, Cuddles, Eventual relationship, Family, Fluff, Fuck Henry, Intense, M/M, Making Out, Mind Control, Murder, No Sex, PTSD, Post-Canon Fix-It, Time Travel Fix-It, William’s fucked up, but he’s doing his best, kind of
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-03
Updated: 2019-07-18
Packaged: 2020-01-04 11:45:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,873
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18343037
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Paperpage/pseuds/Paperpage
Summary: William was alright in Heaven. He had friends (sort of) when he needed them, and he had Blackjack for comfort whenever he felt lonely. However, something was missing. He really missed Jack. He deeply regrets all that he's done; and sometimes, against his better judgment, he selfishly wishes that Jack was here instead of sacrificing himself. One day, William is given something most never get: a chance to fix his past. He'll have to face everything from his past adult life, and face the man who ruined his and many others lives. With this decision, there is one question. Will he be able to face his past and fix his regrets?





	1. Regret

Heaven was beautiful. The air was crisp and refreshing. The sun shined softly on the gentle green grass; and when there was rain, it never poured. It never rained hard enough to chip the paint off the neighborhood of houses that lined the pristine, almost luminous street. The houses were cute little spectacles, all varying in colors and styles and shapes as to fit the likings of its owners. Some of them were big mansions with powerful pillars and a grandiose presence. Others were smaller, more modest houses with friendly gardens and happy little windows freckled on them. As William looked out of his window, he found himself in a lone, silent agreement. Heaven was beautiful, even lovely. Yet….

William is briefly snapped out of his thoughts when he hears an annoyed bark behind him. He slowly twists around to see his friend holding his leash in his mouth and looking at him expectantly. William chuckles and grabs the leash from his pets mouth: “Alright, alright, old sport. I’ll take you on a walk.” Contentedly petting the dog, he quickly clips the leash onto his collar, getting a quick flash of his friend’s name tag: Blackjack. William feels a small jab of grief before quickly pushing it aside. No, he was determined to go outside today, especially since he’d stayed in all of yesterday. Or what he thought what was yesterday, anyways. William mentally shrugs, not wanting to wrestle with the overly convoluted idea of time in the afterlife. Having thoroughly distracted himself, he and Blackjack both walk through the living room and leave through the front door, since they both found out the hard way they couldn’t leave through the window anymore.

They exit the house, and begin their walk down the street. William observed the many houses in front of him. He could make out the gentle grins of the parents, carefully keeping watch of their front yards filled with smiling, giggling children running around playfully with their old friends, kids that had suffered the same fate as everybody else here did: Henry, Freddy’s, himself. 

William felt himself slow down and tense as he approached the other houses. It was partially because of the thought and partially because of the houses. William stared at the ground in shame as he walked past the houses, feeling the parents’ glares stab into his back. He briefly glances over to one of the houses on his right, where he sees similar looks of fear and disdain on the children's faces. He decides to quicken his pace, Blackjack happily trotting along at the new tempo of their walk. He was completely oblivious to the looks everyone frequently shot at his friend.

There were two things that were different in this heaven that William had noted. The first thing was that here, Blackjack was more or less a regular, if not intelligent, dog. He never spoke anymore, seeming to prefer to barking and wagging his tail excitedly then to speaking in English or in that strange code he used to be fluent in. William always found it rather funny and sweet that Jack’s soul was a dog. If Jack were here, William would have made a horrible furry joke at his expense, but… 

The second thing was something William picked up on almost immediately when he arrived. It was from the fearful glances from the children and the murderous looks shot at him from the parents. Even when Dee had explained to them all that William had helped with saving the children, he could still feel it. He could still feel the unbridled horror and repulsion they had held for him, having helped Henry cause so much suffering. He still feels it now whenever he walks down the near endless street, the sweet neighborhood acting bitter towards him. He had learned something the first “day” he had come here. He learned that not everyone was forgiving in Heaven.

William slowed down again, his shoulders slumping. He felt incredibly downcast. He looked ahead of him, toward the horizon, and saw his destination in the distance: a small park, with a lone tree in the middle of it. Off to the left of the park, across the street, there was blue two story house. Blackjack whimpered as they got closer. William sadly glanced at the soul, guilty that he hadn’t come visit Dee, Steven, ans Peter for a while. He hadn’t had the heart to. While they had a forged a close bond with one another through their adventure, there was an air of cordial awkwardness. They had no reason to see each other or to even be friends with him anymore. They’d all tried to hang out, and they had fun but something was missing. Something wasn’t the same.

There was something else, of course. Dee and Peter look the same. Well, not entirely in the case of Dee, but for Peter it was true. Peter still had a phone for a head, the same being with Steven. William didn’t admittedly feel that much sympathy for Steven, although he did feel guilty for Peter. He was Jack’s family, and he already felt terrible about Henry hurting Jack and inflicting as much pain as he did. It upset him that neither of the two phone guys would be able to be free of their fate, even in Heaven. However, this was nothing compared to the amount of guilt he felt whenever he saw Dee. 

Dee has changed, at least in some ways. The time in eternal rest had done her some good, as she looked less like a puppet and more like a young girl again. But, she seems to have stopped improving. She has most of her original body back, but she still looks like a puppet in some ways. Her fingers were still long and frayed. Her eyes still held that penetrating stare, even when she was being gentle and understanding. Her face was still a mask. While she can do more facial expression now, she still holds the old perma-grin from her old body. William hated it, but Henry was right. The group was able to stop him, but Dee will always bare the scars they’d left on her. He’s not sure he’ll ever forgive himself for that.

William snapped himself out of his thoughts momentarily, realizing that he was closer to the Kennedy house than what he was comfortable with. Slowly turning more to left, he heads towards the park, hearing Blackjack whine a little as he gave a longing look towards the now ignored house. They now trudged along, finally reaching the park. William smiled a little at feeling of the grass under his feet, reminding him of his orphan days before Henry’s circus. Tinkering with various engines and robots, stealing Steamed Hams, eating his first kebab. The whole feeling made him nostalgic. 

He reaches the trunk of the tree, and lies his back against it. Blackjack hops into his lap, tiredly nestling into him. He smiles appreciatively at him, and pets him absentmindedly before his melancholy takes over him again. They were wonderful times, but they weren’t that different from now. Sure, people didn’t throw whatever heavy object they had at him in disgust, but the sentiment was all the same. He wasn’t welcome here, just like back on Earth. 

And he could understand why. William felt his eyes widen and fill with tears. He had hurt so many people. He had let him hurt so many people. Whether indirectly or directly, William knew he was involved with the suffering of nearly every person in this afterlife. He knew that he deserved it, that he should’ve stopped after the first kid, that he should’ve stopped Henry from doing the horrible things he did to Dee, to the rest of the children. At the very least, he should’ve tried stopping Henry from killing Jack, since he was the only one that cared enough about the kids, the restaurant, him even, to do anything about it. He was the only person that cared, and he can’t even fully join them on the other side now because of him.

William winces at the thought, tears squishing from his eyes as he tries to wipe them away. He hates that he thinks this, because he really is grateful for Jack giving him his soul. That Jack trusted him enough to look after it in the afterlife. That Jack was able to say “I love you.” in his own sort of way before leaving. Ultimately, he was glad that he knew him, and that Jack was so selfless to try and save everyone, something he could never do.

William feels a wet nose boop his cheek, trying to clean the tears from his face. William hadn’t even noticed that he wasn’t on his lap anymore, or that he himself was shaking. He gives Blackjack a weak hug, always appreciative of the dog trying to cheer him up when he feels down. 

He looks forlornly at the ground and back at Blackjack. He talks to his favorite mutt for a bit, since he knows he needs it. “Sorry about that, old sport. I guess I got lost in my thoughts again.” He ruffles the dogs fur a bit. He closes his eyes, taking a deep breath before saying: “I guess I just wish I could turn back the clock, ya know? Make everythin’ right again…” William hesitates, before saying: “I guess I just wish that Jack was here. It’d make things easier, for everyone.” 

William feels selfish for thinking this, knowing that nothing he could do would ever bring him back. William hiccups, and tries to stop the onslaught of tears falling down his face. However, before he can move his arm, he suddenly doesn’t feel Blackjack under his fingertips. William’s eyes fly open as he is only accompanied by an infinite darkness. 

“WHAT THE SHIT???” He yells at the top of his lungs. He falls back and lands flatly on the ground, noticing the tree was gone as well. Everything was gone. What the F-

William’s thoughts freeze when he sees a small, golden light in the distance. Not wanting to stay in this darkness (which he was beginning to suspect it was the Void) he decides to follow the light. He breathes shakingly as both pleasant and unpleasant memories flash in his mind. Determined to not look into the black abyss, William focuses on the golden light and keeps going. After walking for some time, the light becoming brighter and enveloping him more, he finds its emitter.

Sitting by himself in the middle of the Void, was The Real Fredbear. William felt a small prickle of fear as he neared the bear. They were never on the best of terms, especially with what happened with Henry and him. Just as he thought of leaving the bear alone, The Real Fredbear turned his head towards him and signaled for him to sit down next to him. William wouldn’t have if he hadn’t seen The Real Fredbear’s eyes. His eyes were coated with sorrow, and filled with regret. Looking into them, William could feel the immense grief inside of him, the feeling of uselessness of not being able to do more when he was needed. They were mirrors of how he was feeling. Without a second thought, William sat down with Fredbear, into a contemplative silence.


	2. An Old Promise, A New Proposition

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> William is given the opportunity of a life time, (after lifetime?) and things go better than he thought they would.

They sat there, deep in thought. Both of them watched the others movements, trying to read each other in the darkness. To anyone watching, the silence would seem tense, even accusatory. However, that couldn’t have been further from the truth. While certainly weary of one another, they were more curious rather than judging each other. 

The silence went on for an indefinite time. Sometimes it felt like time was stretching, trying to make every moment as long as possible while others moments seemed to fade away as quick as mist. After what felt like a millennia, or a New York minute, William finally broke the silence between them.

“Fredbear, what am I doing here?” He asked in a straightforward manner, looking directly at him. He almost looked like a confused child, sitting cross legged and shrinking into himself. Fredbear didn’t answer, instead looking above the purple man’s head and gazing into the inky darkness. This unsettled him, not used to seeing the mythical being be this quiet. He tentatively says Fredbear’s name again, but again is met with no response. William started to feel discouraged. Still, he pressed on. If he wasn’t going to say why he was plopped into the middle of the Void, then maybe he can ask why HE was here.

“Wait. I actually have a more important question.” William raised his eyebrows, hoping to get his curiosity across. The bear doesn’t make any motion of paying attention, yet he feels his eyes are on him all the same. “Fredbear, why are you here?” William inquired. The mighty creature swiftly dropped its gaze down onto William. William noted how alert his eyes looked now, the sadness in them still present but momentarily forgotten. He still didn’t say anything, waiting for William to say more. He took the que, and continued.

“I thought you’d join the rest of us up in heaven, and would keep an eye over everyone like a god. That you’d play with the kiddens and care for them. Show everyone in there the true magic of Fredbear’s, and what it could’ve been. Yet… you’re down here. In Henry’s tomb. Why? There’s nothing left in here, for anybody. We defeated Henry, and nearly no one remembers him. And everyone that does doesn’t want to. He, and his legacy, are over. Our legacies are over. So, I have ask. Why? Why are you here, and why I am here too?”

William stared at Fredbear expectantly, not noticing how tense he was, or the rise of emotions he was feeling. After a few moments of silence, William thought he wasn’t going to get an answer, when he is mistaken by hearing the bear’s booming response.

“REGRET.” The bear grunted, his eyes almost glazing over again. “Regret?” William repeated. The bear simply nods, and William feels some of the tension he held loosen. Finally, an answer. Maybe the old bear could give him insight on things, if he asked him to elaborate more. William cleared his throat to indicate himself before speaking.

“What regret, exactly?” He asked, his face contorting into a half frown. The bear again didn’t answer right away, letting the question hang and ring out considerably before answering. 

“THE SAME AS YOU, WILLIAM.” The bear replied in a terse manner. 

“The same as me?” William’s eyes fall to the floor, the man going into deep thought. “I don’t understand.” He blurts, quickly darting his eyes back to the being. “Fredbear, I did a lot of horrible things. I hurt a lot of people, and ruined a lot of lives. But I don’t feel bad about those things anymore. At least, I don’t feel fully responsible.” William’s brow furrows as Fredbear watches him with rapt interest. It was strange, him being so cryptic. It seemed he wanted William to come to his own conclusion on things, yet he couldn’t think of anything. What were some things that he had done in his life that he truly regretted? Well, stealing kebabs was one thing, murderin’ toddlers was another, but that wasn’t it. If he was honest with himself, there were only two things he completely regretted. The first, was meeting and teaming up with Henry Miller. The other….

William almost collapsed in grief as it clicked in his head what he regretted. Before he could stop himself, he automatically answered.

“Jack. I regret not saving Jack.”

William looks up, only to be met with the solemn nod of his companion. 

“COME HERE, WILLIAM.” The bear commanded, signaling him to sit down next to him. Shaking with a feeling akin to excitement, William got up and went over to where The Real Fredbear motioned him to. Sitting down and barely containing himself, William bursts: “You miss him too?!” The bear looks at him, mildly annoyed at the outburst, but softens as he speaks.

“OF COURSE. JACK WAS A GOOD MAN, AND A GOOD FRIEND. HE WAS WHAT FREDDY’S NEEDED, WHAT THE WORLD NEEDED, TO STOP HENRY. HE HAD A FAMILY OF HIS OWN HE NEEDED TO SAVE. A FAMILY HE LOVED DEARLY. YET HE NOT ONLY SAVED THEM, BUT EVERYONE ELSE WHO HAD SUFFERED AT HENRY’S HANDS. EVEN THOUGH HE KNEW THAT HE WOULD PERISH AS SOON AS HIS TASK WAS COMPLETE, AND THAT HE WOULD BE OUTCAST FOR HIS APPEARANCE, HE STAYED THE COURSE. EVEN WHEN HE KNEW THE PROMISE WE MADE WAS FLAWED, HE STILL CAME THROUGH WITH IT. NO, I DO NOT REGRET CHOOSING HIM TO HELP FIGHT HENRY AND SAVE THE CHILDREN. I DO NOT REGRET THE PROMISE WE MADE TO EACH OTHER. MY ONLY REGRET… IS THAT I COULDN’T SAVE HIM.”

William silently takes all of this in, going cold and feeling a little shocked. The Real Fredbear, who was practically a god, admitted that he had a regret. That he wished he could fix something, but just wasn’t able to. William realizes he must have been showing his thoughts, as The Real Fredbear gives him a look. 

“IT MAY BE HARD TO BELIEVE, WILLIAM, BUT I TO HAVE MANY REGRETS IN MY LIFE. EVERYONE DOES, EVENTUALLY.”

“Oh…” William squirms a little under the bear’s words. He felt guilty for assuming that the being wouldn’t have feelings like regret or shame. “I’m sorry for that, Fredbear. I shouldn’t-“ 

“WILLIAM…” The bear interrupts, looking hesitant, a contrast to his firm voice. This snaps William out of his thoughts. Before William can respond, the bear straightens himself, appearing important. Something in William told him he should pay attention to the old bear, so he did just that. The bear grunted and gruffed before he began to speak. 

“WILLIAM. IT IS TRUE, MANY PEOPLE HAVE REGRETS. SOME OF THEM HAVE AS MANY AS THE STARS IN THE NIGHT. SOME WOULD DO ANYTHING TO CHANGE THEIR PAST, TO ERASE THEIR MISTAKES.

SO TELL ME, WILLIAM….

WHAT WOULD YOU DO…

IF YOU WERE GIVEN…

A SECOND CHANCE?”

William flinches back as the bear holds out it’s paw. Confused, he looks back and forth between the outstretched paw and it’s owner before it finally hit him that he was actually being offered something. 

“What? A second chance? Fredbear, I don’t understand? A second chance to do what, exactly?”

“IT’S HOW IT SOUNDS, WILLIAM. I’M GIVING YOU A SECOND CHANCE AT LIFE. A CHANCE TO STOP HENRY FROM KILLING EVERYBODY. A CHANCE TO SAVE JACK.”

William couldn’t believe what he was hearing. His mind felt like it was buzzing, and an intense sense of euphoria overcame him. He couldn’t believe it, he needed to ask, to be sure. “You mean it? I can save Jack?” 

“YES.” The magical being answered sagely.

William nearly dances in excitement, and hugs the old bear animatronic in his happiness. Fredbear half heartedly returns the hug, patting William on the shoulder before stepping away. 

“ARE YOU EVEN GOING TO QUESTION ABOUT HOW WE’RE GOING TO DO THIS?” The bear queried wearily.

“Oh. Well, I wasn’t going t’ question it, but sense you’ve asked, sure. How we going to save Jack, Fredbear?” William says, animatedly shrugging his shoulders.

“TIME TRAVEL.”

“Time travel?” William says with a hint skepticism.

“YES. A SOUL CAN TIME TRAVEL WHEN IT IS BURDENED WITH IMMENSE REGRET. WITH THIS POWER, SOULS COULD MEND ANY PROBLEMS THEY HAD ON EARTH, AND EVEN PREVENT THEIR DEATHS IF THEY PLAY THEIR CARDS RIGHT. IT’S LIKE A RESET ON YOUR COMPUTER, IT WIPES THE SLATE CLEAN, BUT THE SOUL STILL REMEMBERS EVERYTHING. HOWEVER, EVEN THE MOST POWERFUL OF SOULS CAN ONLY GO BACK A COUPLE DAYS, AT MOST. IT WAS USEFUL WITH JACK, AS HE WAS ABLE TO TRAVEL BACKWARDS TO THE FIRST DAY OF HIS JOB WHENEVER HE MADE A MISTAKE AT ONE OF THE LOCATIONS. BUT…”

“But you’re thinking of going further than a few days.” William finished, soaking in every word attentively.

EXACTLY. I CAN’T TIME TRAVEL, BECAUSE I’M ONLY AN ANIMATRONIC. BUT I CAN SEND SOMEONE ELSE’S SOUL AND “RESET” OUR TIMELINE. BUT IT IS VERY RISKY. COMBINING MY POWERS AND YOUR REGRET WOULD MEAN WE WOULD BE REVIVING EVERYONE WHO’S DIED FREDDY’S.YOU, JACK, DEE, PETER, THE MISSING CHILDREN…

HENRY. 

IT’S DANGEROUS TO-

Before the deity could explain more, William furiously shook the bear’s paw, grinning madly. “Say no more, old sport! I’ll do it all in a heartbeat! Even if I have to face Henry again, I’d do it!Anything for Jack! Anything for my family!” The bear gazes downwards at the purple man, who is almost dancing again from how excited he was. The bear lets out an almost frustrated sigh, which makes the purple man go stone still in an instant. Confused, William drops his paw and worriedly glances over at the animatronic, who gives him a disappointed smile in return.

“I APPRECIATE YOUR ENTHUSIASM, WILLIAM. REALLY, I DO. HOWEVER, YOU HAVE TO REALIZE THAT WE’RE DOING IS SELFISH.” The bear explains.

“What? It is?” William asks innocently.

“*SIGH* YES, IT IS. WILLIAM, WE ARE GOING TO BE TEARING ALL THE SOULS WE SAVED FROM THE FLIPSIDE BACK INTO THEIR BODIES. THEY’RE GOING TO BE ALIVE AGAIN, IN THEIR ORIGINAL BODIES, INCLUDING HENRY. THEY WON’T REMEMBER THIS TIMELINE, BUT IF THE PLAN FAILS THEY WILL BE FORCED TO RELIVE IT ALL OVER AGAIN. ALL OF THEIR DEATHS, ALL OF THEIR ANGUISH AND SUFFERING. JACK LOSING HIS SOUL TWICE. PETER AND STEVEN BEING SPRINGLOCKED AND HAVING PHONE HEADS AGAIN. DEE BEING TRAPPED IN HER WOODEN PRISON CELL FOR ANOTHER ETERNITY, AND YOU HAVING TWICE THE AMOUNT OF GUILT COMPARED TO BEFORE. PLEASE, UNDERSTAND IT IS SELFISH, WILLIAM. I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT.”

The purple man sits back down onto the ground, a feeling of nausea almost overwhelming him. He has been given an invaluable opportunity, a chance to fix his mistakes and to save everyone he cares about. To stop Henry from before he even started. He could fix everything… or make everything worse. To make everyone relive their suffering all over again. The thought alone sends a sharp shiver down his spine, making him tremble uncontrollably. God, he wants to take the offer so badly, but he doesn’t know if he should. What if he’s not cut out for it? What if he wasn’t the right person that Fredbear needed? As if he was reading his mind, the deity pipes up again.

“I BROUGHT YOU TO THE VOID BECAUSE YOU ARE THE ONLY PERSON THAT COULD FIX THE PAST. YOU WERE CLOSE WITH HENRY, AND WERE WORKING ALONGSIDE HIM WHEN HE WAS PLANNING THE MURDERS. AND EVEN IF YOU DIDN’T KNOW IT, YOU WERE WORKING NEAR JACK AND DEE. YOU CAN PROTECT THEM. YOU HAVE THE POWER TO FIX THIS, I KNOW YOU DO. I BELIEVE THAT YOU’RE THE ONLY ONE THAT CAN, AND BECAUSE YOU CAN, YOU WILL.”

William smiles at the animatronics encouragement. It was touching in a way that even after everything that had happened at the diner, the animatronic was still willing to try and cheer him up. William gasps as he’s surrounded by a golden light.

“WILLIAM, TALK TO THE OLD TEAM. ASK THEM IF THEY ARE WILLING TO RISK LOSING THEIR LIVES AGAIN. IF WE SHOULD GO THROUGH WITH THIS SELFISH PLAN!”

William nods through the golden haze, determined but nervous as well. He hopes that he can convince them that this is a good idea. With that last thought, William is teleported out of The Void, and is warped back to Heaven.

———————————————————

When William opened his eyes, he was expecting to be near blinded by the sheer brightness of Heaven. Instead, he only saw the concerned faces of his old friends above him and heard Blackjack frantically yipping around him. William tried to stand, but found that his legs were too weak. It seems the traveling in and out of The Void was exhausting his body. Seeing that he needed help, Peter and Steven went on either side of him and helped him up. Dee was the first to say something.

“William, are you okay? Where were you?” She interrogates with concern, her brows struggling to scrunch to show it. William gave her a brief expression of guilt before he tells them what happened.

“I was in The Void, with The Real Fredbear. We talked about an offer, of sorts. I don’t think you’ll it, but I want to talk about it inside the house before you guys say anything.” 

Dee solemnly nods as she motions the phones to lead William into the house. Peter and Steven exchange nervous glances as they slowly trudge William forwards. Blackjack follows the entourage glumly, acting unusually quiet. 

The three of them enter the house. Dee is already sitting in the middle of the living room, in front of the couch. She’d look like a normal child waiting for story time, weren’t for the grim look she held in her eyes. William breaks free from the phones and slowly stumbles to the couch. The phone guys sit down on either side of her and brace themselves for what William has to say.

William nervously clenched his hands together, trying to get the words right in his head. He didn’t want to say it how he would, but rather how Jack would. Say it in a way that was to the point, yet reassuring. After musing for a few seconds, William told them about the “offer”.

“So, as you three know, I was in The Void with The Real Fredbear.” He began anxiously, his eyes darting between the three and the ground. The three lean in, their eyes (and dials) attached to William. 

“The Real Fredbear and I had a chat for a bit. We both realized that we aren’t happy here.- Not to say we ain’t grateful! But, we both realized that we were missing something or someone a lot.” He admits weakly, trying to ignore the worried expressions they all were wearing. William suddenly realizes that him trying to comfort them wasn’t working, so he decides to cut to the chase.

“Okay, fuck it. I’m worrying you guys by taking too long and trying to talk like Jack, so I’ll be quick. Basically, me and Fredbear regret not being able to save Jack. Apparently, we regret it enough that he can send me back in time to stop all the murders from happening. He says that we can stop Henry from killin’ anyone in the diner, and that we can save Jack if I play my cards right. I’m more than ready to do this if it means saving Jack; and I know I’m not the only that misses him. And it could be our one shot of having a semi normal life, the ones we should’ve gotten. I know this is a lot, but I need to know if you guys are willing to let me do this or not. What do you guys say?”

The three look at William, bewildered and silent. He straightens himself on the couch, trying to shake his returning nervousness. Shit, did he speak too fast? Was it too much info all at once? He didn’t want to rush them, even if he was dying for answer. It was a huge decision, and he’ll admit it’s risky. He doesn’t know what’ll happen for certain when he goes back but… he’s willing to to take a chance if it means being able to be with Jack again. Before he can mull things over more, he hears Steven say his name. William looks up, his attention fully on the old phone.

“D-William. I hate to be… that guy. But I’m not sure I feel comfortable with this plan.” He states apprehensively, hands fidgeting. “Oh really, why not?” William asks sarcastically. “I-It’s just that I like it here, everyone likes it here! Jack worked so hard to give us peace and get us here in the first place. Accepting this “proposition” would throw away everything he did for us. We’d all be forced to relive our miserable lives! I- I just don’t feel good about this, I’m skeptical.” The phone man stuttered. 

William stared down the phone man venomously. “Well of course you do, phone-fuck. You’ve been skeptical since day one. You were like this even with Jack, so I’m not surprised, honestly.” William hisses, feeling himself heat up with anger towards the phone guy. Before he can say more, William is interrupted by Peter.

“William, I hate to say it, but I- I agree with Steven. I’m not sure I like this plan either.” William’s jaw drops, his eyes widening in shock. “Peter, wha- what?! You- you don’t actually mean… you don’t want to save Jack.” Peter shoots him a hurt glance, unable to formulate what he wants to say immediately. “... William, I miss Jack too but… it’s not ethical. Throwing all of his- all of our efforts away, just at the luck of a draw chance that he can be saved as well as all of us. It sounds too risky, too dangerous. I love my brother, but I can’t do agree to let you do this.” William gave Peter an injured look, before standing up from the couch, his eyes dimming with anger and disappointment.

“You know, I would’ve sworn to Fredbear that you guys would’ve given me your blessings to save Jack… I guess I was wrong.” William gets up to leave but...

“Wait!” He stops when he hears Dee yell and feels Blackjack biting his pants to pull him back onto the couch. “What? What else could you guys possibly say other than that you don’t want to save your brother.” He sneers at Steven, raising an eyebrow: “Or unpaid employee, in Steven’s case.”

Dee manages to give William a much deserved glare before replying. “Okay, first off, that was rude.” William looks off to the side, focusing on the fascinating couch cushion next to him. He didn’t want to admit she was right. “Secondly, none of you guys even let me have a say in any of this.” The three men shuffled uncomfortably, looking everywhere but at Dee. Steven even begins to whistle to avoid the awkwardness. “And lastly, I think we should let William do this.” 

“What.” They all exclaim simultaneously, eyes on the small puppet girl. “I think we should do this. I think we should try to have William fix all of this.” She repeated in a matter-of-fact tone.

William didn’t know what to say. “Sis!” “Don’t call me that.” “Sorry, Dee! You want me to do this? You’ll let me go back and save Jack?” Dee contemplates for a second before responding: “Yes.” 

“What?! Dee, you can’t be serious!” Steven cries. “Do you realize what you’re doing here? What you’re about to have William do? He’s going to make us relive our lives again. If he fails, we’re going to have to relive all of our suffering again. The children, the murders, us…” The phone man holds his head, trying to keep himself from panicking. Peter and Dee go over to the older man.

“Steven,” She places a comforting hand on the older man’s arm. “I know that this is very risky, for all of us. I know that if we let them do this, we will be possibly forced to live through all of our pain again. There’s also a chance that we never have to experience it, and that we can all live the full lives we’ve always wanted. No one would die! We could all have our Happiest Day without, well, all the death. We could all be a normal family again.” Her attention shifts to Peter as she says the last part. He looks at her hesitantly, before sighing.

“I still don’t like the idea of it, but if Dee thinks Will could do it…” “Of course I think Will can do it!” She interrupts. “Besides, Fredbear’s in on this as well.” Dee remarks. “If Fredbear thinks there’s a chance, then I think so too.” Peter puts his hand under his phone: “That is a good point, he gambled with Jack and he managed to save all of us.” He sags his shoulders: “...eventually.” After a few moments, Peter admits defeat. “Okay, but only if we tell the other souls as well before he leaves.” Dee nods silently in agreement.

“Uh, guys? Can I get in on the group huddle?” William asks from the sideline. “No.” “In a minute!” William slumps back onto the couch grumpily while he and Blackjack watch with interest. Dee and Peter stare at Steven, who has calmed down some from his near panic attack. He could feel the peer pressure emanating from both of them. He frowns at the two of them before resigning himself. “Okay, fine. I hate it, but fine. I think, maybe, we should let William and Fredbear do this.” William perks up, his eyes glowing. Blackjack livens up as well, happily barking and dancing around the group. William runs over and scoops them all up into a big hug. Steven struggles while the other two go limp.

“Ack- What the h-heck employee? Put me down! I only agreed because Fredbear wants to do this!” William drops all three of them, a contagious smile on his face. “Thank you! Thank you so much for this! I promise, when I’ve fixed everything, we’re all gonna have a fun night! Cake, alcohol, games, everything! I’ll make sure that none of us will regret this. I promise!” The other three smile in spite of themselves, relieved to see William this happy again. Helping them up, William then bolts for the door, ready to head back for Fredbear. They all call back to him as he leaves. 

“Bye William! We’ll tell the rest of the souls what’s going on!” “Good luck!” “Employee, good luck! Please don’t make us regret this!” 

With that last farewell, William sprints to the tree, with Blackjack in tow. He sees the light surround him again, and he gives Blackjack one last pet before he leaves. Soon, he finds himself surrounded by the familiar darkness of The Void. The Real Fredbear stands tall, facing him, a small smile on his face. 

“SO, THEY AGREED TO LET US RESET THE TIMELINE?”

“Yeah! It took a little bit of convincing from Dee, but they all came around in the end.” William holds out his hand to Fredbear, anxious to start already. “C’mon, old friend. I’m ready to do this. I’m ready to make a promise.”

The Real Fredbear shakes his head: “NO, NOT A PROMISE. A PROMISE IS HALF OF WHAT KEPT JACK FROM THE AFTERLIFE. I’D RATHER MAKE IT A PROPOSITION.”

“Oh, okay! A proposition it is then.” However, the bear pushes his hand down, telling him to wait. He seems to want to tell him one more thing before going through with the deal.

“WILLIAM, ARE YOU SURE YOU’RE READY TO FACE THE PAST AGAIN? ARE YOU SURE YOU CAN FACE HENRY WITHOUT FALLING INTO YOUR OLD WAYS AGAIN?” The being asks him anxiously. 

“Of course! Don’t think I’ve forgotten how horrible Henry really was. Trust me, I’ll be more careful around him, I pro- uhhhh I’ll bet ya five hundred Fred-coins for it!” 

The bear gives him a cross of a bemused and amused look, before finally holding his hand out to shake. William shakes the bear’s hand, and feels a strange feeling inside him, almost as if his internal organs were growing back. 

“Hey, quick question. How far am I going back?” William implores. 

“1973.” The being replied.

“Oh. My God. I’m actually going to be alive then!” William exclaims in awe.

*SIGH* “YES WILLIAM, YOU ARE.”

Feeling himself almost evaporate, William tries to say goodbye to Fredbear. Fredbear ends up beating him to the punch. 

“GOOD LUCK, WILLIAM.” The bear says earnestly. William nods to him, replying honestly: “Thanks. I’ll do my best”. William disappears from the realm, and The Real Fredbear feels a turning sensation outside of The Void. He smiles to himself, know that he was feeling the literal effects of turning back the clock. They were successful. He made it back to 1973. With a knowing grin, The Real Fredbear lumbered over to the door, and whispered quietly to himself.

“I KNOW YOU WILL”.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My god, I made it back. Here’s chapter 2 everybody! I hope you all enjoy! It came out differently then what I had in mind for it when I started writing this a month ago, so I hope the tonal change isn’t bad or too drastic or anything. Again, thank you guys for being patient, have a good day and a good reading!


	3. Hiatus

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Not a chapter. Announcement.

Hey guys. It’s me. Sorry I’ve been absent for a while, life has been BUSY! Now, I don’t want to make this gloomy, as I tend to become pretty emo when I have to do stuff like this, so I’ll just settle for being straightforward. I’m putting this story on “hiatus”; for at least a year, I’m thinking. I’m doing this for a couple of reasons. First and foremost being: I don’t have time right now to really devote energy into it. At the beginning of the summer, I thought after graduation I would have time to shower you guys with chapters, maybe even finish the story if I could. Sadly, this was NOT the case, as I’ve had to work a lot of hours this summer to save for college. Another thing I’ve been busy with is music. I’m actually going to college to be a Music Ed major. Music is my life, especially Band. I wouldn’t sacrifice any of it for the world. Because of this, I’ve had to start studying for a Music Theory Placement Test so that I can get into the Music Theory class so that I can try to graduate in 4 years. I’ve also been very busy with Community Band and was in a Musical (Pit Orchestra) this summer as well for pretty much all of the month of June. I’m also now busy with getting auditions ready for Marching Band and with Symphonic Band. As much as “A Second Chance” is important to me (it is literally my baby) music is more so, and I prioritize it over nearly everything else. And you know what? It’s one of the best summers I’ve ever had. I’ve gotten to meet so many cool people, gotten so many opportunities to do what I love and to do what I do best: Playing trombone. I’ve gotten to grow a little with my playing, and I’ve managed to become even better friends with my (now) ex high school band teacher! It’s been a wonderful summer! Except when it comes to here. Personally, I feel really bad that I haven’t been updating like I thought I would. And I’m really fucking sad frankly that I have to say this at all. At the same time, not saying anything and leaving you guys clueless would be cruel, and I’m not about to do that to you guys!! Er, that got emotional, I’m sorry. Anyways, onwards!  
Another reason (admittedly) is that I’m a little burned out on this story and DSAF in general. Not to say I don’t love it still, no no! Me and Lucario frequently talk about au’s and such, and it’s still great fun seeing you guys post stuff! Also, I still fucking love this story, I still know it and I still want to publish it for y’all, I’m just also a bit burnt out, ya know? I want to write other stories, other fandoms and such! I want to finish my vignettes, I want to start unleashing my Queen obsession onto you guys, I want to start working on my numerous original stories, because I have so many and I feel like you guys might like it. There’s a lot what I want to do, I just feel like I’ll have to work on all of it when I can. Scrap by with the time I have.   
So, to end this on a positive note, I don’t want you guys to worry, I’m not going anywhere. I may not post for a long while, but I’ll still be around! I’m still gonna try to work on this from behind the scenes. I might try to just write the whole story in private, have a few peeps beta read for me, then spoil you with the whole story... or I may just post chapter by chapter! We’ll see. Oh! I got a few requests for the old one shot book... so I may open that up again. Hey, Crabbygirk. I think I will try to do your story request. I’m sorry for the rejection earlier, I’ve been stressed with this and trying to think of what I’m gonna do with this story. It might be a few weeks (~~or months~~) for your request as I might honestly just focus on music for a while.   
I’m not going to give up on this story, trust me. I love creating for you guys, and seeing you guys light up as a new chapter is posted brings a smile to my face. Welp, this was long enough. I hope you guys have a lovely day! See you soon!


End file.
